The Official Cannes Lions Wrap-Up 2024: Innovation Unwrapped

The Innovation Lions Grand Prix went to KVI Brave Fund Inc’s ‘Voice 2 Diabetes’, an AI-based innovation that detects type 2 diabetes through voice analysis. It’s already been effective in India and has the potential to scale to other markets, with estimated savings of $32bn on costlier diagnosis tools. It shows how AI is becoming more accessible: intuitively designed tools don’t require special skill sets.

“Inclusivity was a red thread throughout the pieces,” said Pharma Lions Jury President Collette Douaihy. And showing how to tackle racial bias in diagnostic testing was Earswitch’s ‘Airquity’, an innovation that lowers respiratory death rates among Black people by measuring blood oxygen from inside the ear. It won Silver in both Innovation Lions and Pharma Lions.

Gold Innovation Lion winner AXA provided refuge for victims of domestic abuse with just ‘Three Words’ added to its home insurance policies. A reminder that not all innovation is rooted in tech, the clause demonstrates how brands can use their unique expertise to find meaningful solutions. Juror Jody Samuels Ike, Global Innovation and Marketing Executive, advised: “Think about the simplest thing you can do that will be the most impactful for your consumer.”

PR Lions Gold winner ‘VW 70 Years Campaign’ showed the softer side of deepfake tech by reuniting Brazilian icon Elis Regina with her daughter Maria Rita. Using AI, the campaign highlighted the brand's historical legacy while introducing its first electric cars, bridging the past with the future. Ian Black, CEO of New Vegas, emphasised the role of PR in its success, noting that “without PR craft – which was perfect – this campaign would just be advertising”.

Design Lions Grand Prix, ‘Sightwalks’ by Peruvian cement brand Sol Cement, showed how empathy-driven design can lead to innovation. The idea developed tactile paving to help visually impaired people locate local businesses and services. Design Lions Jury President Fura Johannesdottir, Former Chief Creative Officer at Huge, said: “If you look harder to understand the lives of others, you can come up with amazing solutions.”